номер 8, страница 66 - гдз по английскому языку 11 класс учебник Вербицкая, Каминс Карр

Unit Six.

Track Forty-Four.

Welcome to somewhere new.

Our series of programs looking at holiday destinations which are somewhat off the beaten track.

Tonight we're talking about Bhutan. And our guest is Lucy Hamilton, who's just come back from two weeks there.

Glad to have you on the show, Lucy.

It's my pleasure.

Well, first of all, I must admit I'm not quite sure exactly where Bhutan is. And I imagine that some of our listeners are in the same boat.

Yes, I had a vague idea, but I had to have a look at a map. It's actually between China and India, sort of in the foothills of the Himalayas. It's a tiny little country.

Aha, I see.

Now, what did you expect before you got there? I mean, about the scenery, the way of life, that kind of thing.

Hmm. Well, I spent quite a lot of time finding out about Bhutan, you know, on the internet and in guidebooks. And I was left with this image of a a beautiful, unspoiled country with most of its traditional way of life still intact. And where there was less intrusion from American and European culture than in other similar places. I thought there would be lots of temples, mountains, traditional costume, and no modern buildings.

And was it what you expected?

Oh, yes, absolutely. I noticed in particular how strong the influence of the Buddhist religion is. And there was a really, well, peaceful sense about the country. The people were just so calm and friendly.

So you wouldn't say that rising crime levels were a problem in the society then?

Oh, no, not at all. I always felt very safe there.

And what about globalization? Did you feel that the country was being affected by it? Especially since the fairly recent introduction of TV and the internet?

Hmm. Well, I noticed that the younger people changed out of their traditional dress into jeans and t-shirts in the evening. So I suppose that could be because of seeing those clothes on TV. Although, of course, they're likely to see Western tourists wearing them too. But that's all really. I didn't see anyone using the internet, but then I didn't see any internet cafes either. I was more interested in looking at the monasteries and temples, you know.

Of course. But tell me, is traditional dress still compulsory?

Oh, yes. When the people are in public, for example, at work or for children at school.

Okay.

Now, for people who might be thinking of going there, tell us a bit about the accommodation and food during your stay.

Well, the hotels were very simple, more like guesthouses really, but comfortable. And the food, well, we didn't have traditional Bhutanese cooking, which I was actually quite glad about, because they love hot chilies, and I don't. In fact, they have a saying in Bhutanese, which translates as no chili, no appetite.

Really? So you ate more Westernized food in the hotels?

Yes, rice, noodles, uh, a meat stew of some kind, stir-fried vegetables. I remember exactly because the meals were identical in every hotel I stayed in.

Well, at least you knew what to expect.

Exactly.

Okay. And we've just got time for one more question. What would you say impressed you most about Bhutan?

Hmm. That's a difficult question too.

I think it's the way that they are protecting their traditional culture and customs. For for example, all new buildings have to fit in with the local architecture. Whitewashed walls and tiled roofs. And they're balancing this with limited progress in ways that are good for the people. So healthcare and education are free.

Um, oh, yes. In fact, the government is so concerned about people's health that Bhutan was the first country to ban not only smoking in public, but sales of tobacco too. Imagine trying to do that in the UK.

Yes. That's quite a drastic way of stopping people smoking.

Well, thank you, Lucy. That was very interesting.

And now we're going over to Allen.